Project 30 Chessmas Zoom Quiz

The previous Project 30 Zoom quizzes for both adults and juniors had been very well received and for the Chessmas Special I thought it would be fun to combine the two groups and invite even more people besides.

This was our second event in three days and it followed hard on the heels of the 11th Mike Closs Memorial Tournament.

The questions ranged from Christmas song lyrics to tricky chess puzzles and even included a memory test.

The participants included juniors, parents, strong club players, CSC tutors, colleagues and, of course friends.

Nevil, Natasha, Paul Weightman, Zac, Mike and Alice were all making their Project 30 Quiz debuts. The icing on the Chessmas cake was definitely when the great Kineke Mulder joined us from Austria.

Chess-wise, Adrian Thomas of the Voodoo Sheiks is a self-confessed non-player, but he more than makes up for it the questions which do not involve chess moves!

John Garnett looked to have seized victory when we counted up the scores, but - wait! - we had promised bonus points for those who dared to dress up for the occasion. Suddenly, Mike and Alice overtook John, thanks to the bonus points earned by their festive accoutrements.

Congratulations to the new champions!

Final Scores

40/52: Mike and Alice Sturman

39: John Garnett

37.5: Royce Parker

36: Katie and Niamh Sidgwick

34: Catherine and Jessica Lloyd, Rebecca and Isla Horlock

32: Hannah and Lucy Cartman, David Baillie, Nevil Chan

30: Paul and Zac Welling

27: Mike and Natasha Pointon, Adrian Thomas

26: David Hardy

23: Kineke Mulder

22: Dave Edmunds

20: Richard Harris, Paul Weightman

Thank you, everyone!

This was the last Project 30 event of 2020; a year which quite clearly finished a very long way from where it started, in so many different ways.

No matter what happens next in the world, Project 30 will return in 2021 for more fun and frolics.

Meanwhile, here is a new festive tune for you to enjoy, featuring the great Adrian Thomas on guitar and drums. Take it away, the The Don't Look Now Band!

Teaching Adult Beginners

Mark Rivlin, editor of the newsletter for the English Chess Federation, contacted me recently to ask for a few thoughts on teaching chess to adult beginners. This was for a piece he was writing on the ECF website.

Mark and I at the 2019 London Chess Classic

This is what I told him...

Here are some thoughts on teaching adult beginners.

One of the biggest mistakes made when teaching anyone how to play chess is dumbing down the material. This applies mainly to juniors but can also happen with adults.

Here are some pointers:

A coach may feel uncomfortable when teaching juniors and hides in an over-reliance on the teacher/pupil status. This fails to take into account the two-way process of the learning experience.

A coach is unable to convey the message from a position of greater skill and experience.

The desire - on either a conscious or subconscious level - to prove to the student the teacher is superior.

These - and other mistakes - build walls and project boundaries that can be difficult to overcome. There are other mistakes just waiting to be made when teaching adults how to play chess.

These include:

Being unable to take the lesson seriously, which can become a scenario of two friends chatting.

Not understanding the skills necessary to successfully convey the message to a pupil who could be of an age equal to - or greater - than the tutor.

Not structuring the ongoing work and lessons as one would do when teaching juniors.

A fault common to teaching both juniors and adults is the use of money as the sole motivation. Without wishing to stray too far into the tautological territory of false gods, I am sure we are all familiar with teachers who are clearly counting up their figures as they simultaneously count down their days to retirement.

Successful teaching requires, as a starting point, a potent desire to enrich the lives of others and a passion for the subject in question.

The dubious art of dumbing down is on the increase. One cannot help but notice the familiar patterns whenever chess is featured on the news. The presenters simply have to smirk, sheepishly, while they reveal how bad they are at playing chess. Then it seems obligatory to follow through with, ‘Mind you, I’m good at checkers.’

Placed against such a backdrop, the reasons people pitch their lessons incorrectly when teaching adults is understandable. An additional factor can be added: the vast majority of chess tutors are not trained teachers.

This particular obstacle can be overcome as the tutors develop their own style and build up a significant amount of experience.

However, the situation will always be problematic until the almost-universal dumbing down is countered.

Some people want to learn how to play chess merely to enjoy playing the game. Others want to learn the basics and then improve their skills and enter tournaments. No one approach is better than any other in this respect. There is more than enough room for everyone in the chess world.

The average person who plays chess will never elevate their ratings to a level that the majority of established players will find impressive. There is a great deal of snobbery in chess and giving the human brain a number is good way to ensure it continues.

Good tutors will avoid the pitfalls noted above and will treat all students with the greatest of respect - whether they are juniors or adults. They will ensure the lessons have relevant content and are not excuses to show off their own talent or to talk down to ‘lesser’ players.

Patience is required from both sides. Adults will find some aspects very hard to grasp, just as juniors do.

If a tutor or experienced chess player would like to put themselves in the new student’s shoes then all it needs is for the tutor to try doing something new. For instance, try learning how to play a musical instrument. Then think about how long you would keep it up if you had a tutor for music lessons and they were obviously frustrated by your lack of talent or just wanted to show how much better than you they are with the instrument.

There is an enormous difference between dumbing something down and making it more accessible. The two are not as interchangeable as people would have you believe.

In the wise words of Anna from the rather appropriate The King and I:

‘It's a very ancient saying,

But a true and honest thought,

That if you become a teacher,

By your pupils you'll be taught.’

Advice for Beginners

Learn the very basics of a small number of openings (one for White; two for Black - to cater for 1 e4 and 1 d4 by the opponents).

Learn how to finish off an opponent when you have a much superior force. Just knowing a few standard checkmates will considerably increase your confidence and results.

Practice.

Do not neglect chess books. There is an enormous variety on the market. Take advice from experienced players regarding which books would best suit your current playing strength.

Play through the moves of your games and try to understand where you went wrong and what you need to do to avoid the same mistakes happening next time.

Try solving a small number of tactical chess puzzles, several times a week.

Practice.

Do not be afraid of playing against higher-rated players. You would like to beat them, but you cannot do so without playing them.

Analyse the games yourself before you use a computer to do so. This will improve your own analytical powers and when you compare notes with the chess engine you will also see what sort of tactics you are missing.

Practice.

Vary your tournaments. Play in some in which you think you will do well and choose others in which you are aiming to gather experience and gain knowledge.

Set sensible targets for yourself before each tournament.

Practice.

Go to your local chess club (when allowed to do so).

Keep going through the pain-barrier of defeats. Accept that 'you either win, or you learn.'

Remember that every chess player in the world was once a total novice. The ones who are good players now simply had more determination to keep going.

Practice.

You can sign up for the Newsletter of the English Chess Federation for regular news updates and exclusive content by following this link.

International Chess Challenge: The Conclusion

It has been a while since we reported on the International Chess Challenge between Hutt International Boys' School (New Zealand) and The Links Primary School (England).

The game has now reached its conclusion and we can present the final moves.

This was the position when we last saw it here on the blog.

                    

Hutt International Boys' School (New Zealand) v The Links (England)

White to play

The game continued...

24 Rc1

Attacking the knight.

24 ...Nd4+

Saving the knight and checking the white king.

25 Kd1

Trying two find safety behind the knight and pawn.

26 ...Nb3

The 10th and final move by a black knight in this game.

26 Nxb3 Qxb3+

27 Rc2 and 0-1

Hutt resigned immediately after playing their move.

The Final Position

Although the white king is not in checkmate, it is perfectly normal to resign in such a position. Black has a material advantage and a safe king. One way to increase the advantage would be to start pushing the pawn from a7 as far as possible. It may well reach the other side and earn promotion.

We started the game back in October 2019 - long before we had any inkling that the whole world would soon become embroiled in such a strange emergency.

It is curious that we should have started the challenge game before chess on the Internet experienced a huge boom.

The game continued despite various lockdowns and, of course, the usual school holidays.

We thoroughly enjoyed exchanging news and views with Richard Catterall and his excellent team of chess players.

Hutt International Boys' School is now taking its Summer Holiday, just as we head towards our Christmas break. A rematch is definitely in the pipeline for 2021.

Well played, everyone!

The Delancey UK Schools' Chess Challenge 2020-21

We are delighted to report that the long-running UK Chess Challenge has been confirmed for the school year 2020-21.

The current emergency had an unfortunate impact on chess but Sarah and Alex Longson rose to the challenge and somehow managed to move all of the stages from the Megafinal onwards online during 2020.

This was a magnificent achievement and it ensured juniors from all across the United Kingdom could continue to enjoy competitive chess despite chess clubs having to endure an enforced hiatus.

Sarah and Alex have worked very hard indeed to adapt the event to cater for all of the unexpected challenges.

Big plans are in place for 2020-21 and entries are being taken right now.

This is the rallying cry from their website:

One of the world’s largest junior chess competitions

Fun, educational and aspirational

Schools from all across the UK take part

We welcome complete beginners and will help prepare players to play in competitions

Regional and national leaderboards and prizes for schools

Chance for individuals to compete against the best at National level

There are two levels of entry this time.

The Basic package is free!

The Gold package ensures schools will receive the familiar box of prizes, as in all previous years.

My own schools have enjoyed participating in the UKCC every year since it first started.

I strongly recommend entering this magnificent event and the Gold package is definitely the option I would choose.

Head to the UKCC website for further details.

Meanwhile, Sarah will be one of our very special guest speakers at this year's (online) London Chess Conference, 'ChessTech2020'.

 

ChessTech 2020 Update

The ChessTech 2020 Conference is now just over one week away.

There will be a veritable bonanza of chess talk, demonstrations, presentations and various other events over the weekend of 5-6 December.

Basic tickets are free and there is an opportunity to purchase a Professional Ticket for £50, which will give exclusive access to several parts of the conference.

It will be a meeting of minds like no other and promises to be a very positive experience amid the otherwise desolate landscape of 2020.

250 people have already registered and we are creeping towards full capacity.

The full programme is about to be unveiled, so keep a close eye on the official website.

Be there - or be square!

ChessTech2020

 

The London Chess Conference will be held on the weekend of Saturday 5 - Sunday 6 December.

Circumstances have rather forced our hand to make the entire conference and online affair. 

However, there is an element of serendipity here as the theme was already set as Chess and Technology.

This is from the official website:

ChessTech2020 is the premier chess related conference in the world. Its name reflects the topic: Chess and Technology. This is the Eighth in the sequence of London Chess Conferences since 2013. 

Meet the leaders and pioneers of online chess, discover new products and services, debate cheating and learn about the latest chess-related research!

This year our theme is Chess and Technology with special regard to online learning, teaching and training. 

The conference is held online through video conference with networking opportunities through digital kiosks. 

There will also be a business competition for start-ups.

Topics 2020

Cheating and Anti-cheating
Streaming
Hybrid Events
Digital Strategy
Digital Formats
Online Learning Systems
Integrated Hardware
Playing Platforms
Let’s Make Chess Greener
Online Projects for Girls and Women
New Journalism Formats and much more

General admission is free this year and there is an upgraded Professional Ticket, priced at £50, for those who would appreciate a plethora of extras.

Head to the official website for further details.

Project 30 November Zoom Quiz

The third edition of the Project 30 Zoom Quiz was the biggest and best to date.

The quiz has now gone international, thanks to the involvement of
Kineke Mulder of Chess Unlimited.

Jo Hutchinson and Adrian Thomas (one of the kings of British Rythm and Blues - check out the Voodoo Sheiks) were among those also making their debuts in this strictly-by-invitation series of events.

David Hardy is the champion, with John Garnett runner-up and Sean Cassidy third.

Thank you, everyone, for a fabulous, fun evening.

Incidentally, some of the answers I received for the lyrics question were not only incorrect, but also anatomically impossible.

Project 30 Match Update

The big Project 30 match has been decided, with Team Two crossing the finishing line as victors, thanks to excellent wins from Peter Parker. 

One fixture remains, but it cannot change the standings.

Remaining Fixture

Paul Weightman - Kevin Waterman


Results

Mike Pointon 1-1 Matt Jackman
Mike Pointon 1-1 Sean Marsh
Mike Pointon 0-2 Peter Harker
Mike Pointon 2-0 Graham Edwards
Mike Pointon 1-1 Royce Parker
Mike Pointon 1-1 Kevin Waterman

John Garnett 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
John Garnett 0-2 Sean Marsh
John Garnett 2-0 Peter Harker
John Garnett 2-0 Royce Parker
John Garnett 2-0 Graham Edwards
John Garnett 1.5-0.5 Kevin Waterman

David Baillie 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
David Baillie 1-1 Sean Marsh
David Baillie 1.5-0.5 Royce Parker
David Baillie 2-0 Kevin Waterman
David Baillie 2-0 Peter Harker
David Baillie 1.5-0.5 Graham Edwards

Richard Harris 0-2 Matt Jackman
Richard Harris 2-0 Peter Harker
Richard Harris 1-1 Royce Parker
Richard Harris 1.5-0.5 Kevin Waterman
Richard Harris 0-2 Sean Marsh
Richard Harris 1-1 Graham Edwards

Paul Weightman 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
Paul Weightman 2-0 Graham Edwards
Paul Weightman 0-2 Sean Marsh
Paul Weightman 0.5-1.5 Royce Parker

Paul Weightman 0-2 Peter Harker

Sean Cassidy 0-2 Sean Marsh
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Matt Jackman
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Royce Parker
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Kevin Waterman
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Graham Edwards

Sean Cassidy 1-1 Peter Harker

Team One 32, Team Two 38

Players who have completed their fixtures are given with their final scores.

Team One
John Garnett 8/12
David Baillie 8.5/12
Richard Harris 5.5/12
Mike Pointon 6/12
Sean Cassidy 1/12
Paul Weightman

Team Two
Sean Marsh 10/12
Matt Jackman 9.5/12
Graham Edwards 3.5/12
Royce Parker 6/12
Peter Harker 5/12
Kevin Waterman

Project 30: Match Update

Here is an update on our big Project 30 match, which is now coming to its conclusion.

Team Two have extended their lead by a point.

6 points are still available.

Team One needs five and a half points to win the match.

Team Two needs one and a half points to win the match.

A score of 5-1 to Team One from the remaining fixtures will tie the match.

Remaining Fixtures

Paul Weightman - Peter Harker
Paul Weightman - Kevin Waterman

Sean Cassidy - Peter Harker


Results

Mike Pointon 1-1 Matt Jackman
Mike Pointon 1-1 Sean Marsh
Mike Pointon 0-2 Peter Harker
Mike Pointon 2-0 Graham Edwards
Mike Pointon 1-1 Royce Parker
Mike Pointon 1-1 Kevin Waterman

John Garnett 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
John Garnett 0-2 Sean Marsh
John Garnett 2-0 Peter Harker
John Garnett 2-0 Royce Parker
John Garnett 2-0 Graham Edwards
John Garnett 1.5-0.5 Kevin Waterman

David Baillie 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
David Baillie 1-1 Sean Marsh
David Baillie 1.5-0.5 Royce Parker
David Baillie 2-0 Kevin Waterman
David Baillie 2-0 Peter Harker
David Baillie 1.5-0.5 Graham Edwards

Richard Harris 0-2 Matt Jackman
Richard Harris 2-0 Peter Harker
Richard Harris 1-1 Royce Parker
Richard Harris 1.5-0.5 Kevin Waterman
Richard Harris 0-2 Sean Marsh
Richard Harris 1-1 Graham Edwards

Paul Weightman 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
Paul Weightman 2-0 Graham Edwards
Paul Weightman 0-2 Sean Marsh
Paul Weightman 0.5-1.5 Royce Parker

Sean Cassidy 0-2 Sean Marsh
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Matt Jackman
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Royce Parker
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Kevin Waterman
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Graham Edwards


Team One 31, Team Two 35


Players who have completed their fixtures are given with their final scores.


Team One 
John Garnett 8/12
David Baillie 8.5/12
Richard Harris 5.5/12
Mike Pointon 6/12
Sean Cassidy 
Paul Weightman 

Team Two
Sean Marsh 10/12
Matt Jackman 9.5/12
Graham Edwards 3.5/12
Royce Parker 6/12
Peter Harker 
Kevin Waterman

Excellent New Magazine: Chess Tales

We have excellent news for everyone involved with junior chess.

Chess Tales is an English translation of the German Rochade Kids chess magazine.

Teesside helped to test the content of the magazine and there is another link too; Royce Parker, my good friend and teammate, is the translator.

The material is excellent and fully engaging.

You don't need to take my word for it, as you can see the contents of the first issue here.

Additionally, UK schools can claim one free copy of the magazine by clicking here.

Approximately 25,000 children use the magazine in Germany. I believe it to be a very valuable set of resources, which will work in the classroom scenario and also in one-to-one lessons.

International Master Tobias Hirneise is the editor of Chess Tales and he is offering a discount of 50% to schools ordering 10 or more copies of the first issue.

Head to the Chess Tales website for further information.

Acorn Chess

Mini-games are a valuable part of a chess tutor's resources.

They are ideal for teaching chess methodically, as they use a small number of pieces each time to build up knowledge and skill.

They are used extensively by Chess in Schools and Communities in over 300 UK schools.

One problem - particularly now online teaching has become a necessity - is that most computer programmes cannot be used to set up the mini-games, as they class them as illegal positions (because there are no kings on the board.)

Acorn Chess is a brand new venture, which allows mini-games to be set up easily and offers various levels of engine strength to test a player's skill.

I have tested Acorn Chess and I believe it offers an excellent set of resources for chess tutors to use in group or individual settings.

There are lots of other games and features and the project is developing all of the time. Head to the Acorn Chess website to investigate the new resources and follow Acorn Chess on Twitter to keep up to date with all of the new developments.

Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge: New Activity Booklets

It is always good to hear from Sarah and Alex Longson of the Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge.

Sarah and Alex had to change all of their plans for the 2020 Chess Challenge due to the current emergency and they did very well to create so many online events and to get them up and running in plenty of time for children all across the United Kingdom to able to join in the fun.

This week, they contacted me to let me know of another exciting new development: the launch of the brand new Delancey UK Schools Chess Challenge Activity Booklet.

I have seen the first booklet and I enjoyed solving all of the different puzzles and problems.

The content is arranged in order of difficulty, which will give children (and their parents) a sense of achievement as they move through the levels.

I have carefully selected sample pages which do not reveal any of the puzzles as I don't want to spoil your enjoyment of this excellent new resource.

All you have to do is click here to sign up and you will receive a weekly set of puzzles and problems.

You can also find out more about Sarah's Tournament Ready Chessable course, which is mentioned in the activity book, by clicking here.

Project 30 Team Tournament Update

Our Project 30 Team Match is going well and we are on schedule to complete the fixtures by the end of November.

John Garnett - winning lots of games, as usual

Remaining Fixtures

John Garnett - Kevin Waterman
John Garnett - Royce Parker
John Garnett - Graham Edwards

David Baillie - Peter Harker
David Baillie - Graham Edwards

Richard Harris - Sean Marsh
Richard Harris - Graham Edwards
Richard Harris - Kevin Waterman

Paul Weightman - Royce Parker
Paul Weightman - Peter Harker
Paul Weightman - Kevin Waterman

Sean Cassidy - Kevin Waterman
Sean Cassidy - Peter Harker
Sean Cassidy - Graham Edwards


Results

Mike Pointon 1-1 Matt Jackman
Mike Pointon 1-1 Sean Marsh
Mike Pointon 0-2 Peter Harker
Mike Pointon 2-0 Graham Edwards

Mike Pointon 1-1 Royce Parker
Mike Pointon 1-1 Kevin Waterman

John Garnett 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
John Garnett 0-2 Sean Marsh
John Garnett 2-0 Peter Harker

David Baillie 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
David Baillie 1-1 Sean Marsh
David Baillie 1.5-0.5 Royce Parker
David Baillie 2-0 Kevin Waterman

Richard Harris 0-2 Matt Jackman
Richard Harris 2-0 Peter Harker
Richard Harris 1-1 Royce Parker

Paul Weightman 0.5-1.5 Matt Jackman
Paul Weightman 2-0 Graham Edwards
Paul Weightman 0-2 Sean Marsh

Sean Cassidy 0-2 Sean Marsh
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Matt Jackman
Sean Cassidy 0-2 Royce Parker


Team One 19, Team Two 25


Players who have completed their fixtures are given with their final scores.

Team One
John Garnett
David Baillie
Richard Harris
Sean Cassidy
Mike Pointon 6/12
Paul Weightman

Team Two
Sean Marsh
Matt Jackman 9.5/12
Peter Harker
Kevin Waterman
Royce Parker
Graham Edwards

The Return of the Project 30 Zoom Quiz

The first Project 30 Zoom Quiz was a great success and it has now become a new series of events.

The second quiz brought several new faces and a new champion - Jovanka Houska.

It was a very enjoyable evening and it was especially good to see everyone relaxing and having fun.

We will have another Project 30 Zoom Quiz in November and we are hoping to see the first champion, David Hardy, back in action too.

CSC Teesside and the New School Year

Now we have moved into the second month of the new school year, it is time to take stock of what we have achieved here on Teesside.

All 15 of the CSC Curriculum schools who signed up for 2020-21 before the emergency started have remained loyal. 

None of them stepped away from chess, despite the extraordinary circumstances.

Some of our schools returned to chess action on the first week of September. 

Others have deferred the start of the sessions until their own school curriculum has reached a suitable position which will allow other activities back into their schools.

I have been in touch with all of our schools every single week since our enforced hiatus began in March.

For the schools who cannot accept visitors into their schools we are running innovative online lessons. The tutors trained hard on this aspect during the lockdown and were ready for the new challenge.

The CSC Teesside tutors are full of energy and a strong desire to connect - and, in some cases, reconnect - with the children.

The schools are relieved to bring some normality back into the lives of the children.

The children, who are the most resilient of all of us (in more ways than one) are, of course, magnificent.

Not one single person knows what the future holds, either in the short or long term. Everything is in state of flux and will be for at least the next two years.

However, I do not want one single person to doubt that everyone in our particular corner is trying their absolute best to create something positive, to educate, to inspire and to support our schools and children in these extremely challenging times.

Chess may not be the most important aspect of school life, but that is what we do and quite frankly the people of Teesside can hold their heads up high as they keep on spreading their positivity.

When it comes to CSC Teesside, every school matters; every child matters.

English Chess Federation BOOK of the YEAR 2020

English Chess Federation 

BOOK of the YEAR 2020 

This years Short List contained four books of considerable merit. One however stood out for its original subject matter which was treated in a serious manner, but with good writing and a considerable sense of humour.

The Complete Chess Swindler

GM David Smerdon 

New in Chess 

Paperback pp359 £21.95

The subtitle explains the aim of the book: “How to save points from lost positions”. 

It is the fate of all chess players to sometimes wind up in lost positions, but Smerdon argues that does not mean a player should give up trying to save the game.

There are many ways to resist and this book is a manual of weapons, strategic, tactical and psychological that the reader could use. Saving a lost game can sometimes be as rewarding as winning one!

Smerdon starts by looking at the psychology surrounding swindles. A swindler has to know both his own mind (Tal being the perfect example of optimistic resourcefulness) and that of his opponent
(are they anxious, want to get the game over quickly for whatever reason, or prefer a simple technical win to complicated but quicker victory)? 

He then goes onto consider the various approaches a swindler may use such as a “Trojan Horse” and the “Decoy Trap” and many others.

But the above does not work unless a player knows various ways that enable a potential swindler to escape his fate such as stalemate or perpetual check. The book contains many examples of the various positions and techniques that can be used.

Smerdon concludes with 110 exercises to develop the reader’s swindling skills of various degrees of difficulty.

What lifts the book above the ordinary is Smerdon’s quality of writing and his enthusiasm for chess, its players and the chess world. As an academic in behavioural economics he has a sharp eye for
human nature and enlivens the text with many quotes and pointed foot notes. 

Of course the book’s subject provides much amusement - who does not enjoy, (unless you are the victim) a good swindle?

An outstanding Book of the Year 2020 which combines insightful discussion of a previously unexplored subject, with good writing and great entertainment throughout. 

Ideal for these difficult times.

Ray Edwards and Sean Marsh 

29 September 2020

In Memoriam

Julian Farrand

CSC: 'Covid Secure Chess'

Nobody could have predicted how strangely my 32nd year of teaching chess in schools would end.

By the time the news of the potential worldwide spread of Covid-19 became a reality, we were already making plans to stop our school visits until the coast was clear.

Nearly six months later and the virus is still a major problem.

We have, however, been able to return to the art of delivering chess lessons in our schools, albeit via a variety of methods.

The loyalty of the 15 CSC Teesside schools who signed up for the year 2020-21 - prior to the spread of the virus - is impressive. They clearly value what we are doing. 

Every one of our schools still wants to be part of CSC Teesside for the year ahead and I am very grateful for their support, especially as they have so many other things to deal with at the moment.

                        

A small number of our schools preferred to wait a little while longer before resuming their chess lessons but the majority wanted an instant return to action.

International Master Malcolm Pein, our Chief Executive, realised that CSC doesn't just mean 'Chess in Schools and Communities' but it can also stand for 'Covid Secure Chess.' Now there's serendipity for you.

It was so good to see the children enjoying the new chess lessons. They have been through a lot and even though people tend to underestimate the resilience of children none of them would have found it easy to get back into the school way of life after half a year away.

My halo is still intact

We are also delivering online lessons, an innovation made possible only by our extensive planning and training sessions which kept us busy throughout the Summer months.

I strongly suspect we will be delivering even more online sessions over the course of the next month out so.

I enjoyed catching up with our CSC Teesside tutors: Richard Harris, Dave Edmunds and Sean Cassidy. They had all been looking forward to the big return and, believe me, they are all on top form and teaching as well as anyone.

Only a fool would think the current emergency is drawing to a close.

I am under no illusions about the enormity of the challenges ahead. I do, however, believe we have prepared as well as we could to ensure that when we can deliver lessons the quality will be of the highest standard possible.

He had waited patiently for our return and we
 refreshed his knowledge of the bare bones.

We are determined to meet all of the challenges ahead with our famous Teesside positivity.

International Chess Challenge: The Queen and the Knight Resume Their Dance

Today we present more moves from our International Chess Challenge.

This was the position when we last saw the game.

Hutt International Boys' School (New Zealand) v The Links (England)

 

Hutt now brought their knight back to defend the king with 22 Nd2.

The Links temporarily ignored the attack on their queen and moved their own knight in to check the white king with 22 ...Nc2+

This forced the white king to run away with 23 Ke2 and The Links replied with 23 ...Qd5, which brings us fully up to date with the moves so far.

 

The Links hold an advantage in material (three extra pawns) and Hutt's king is in trouble.

Yet we all know a game of chess can turn around very quickly, so neither side can afford to relax their efforts.

Stay tuned for further developments!

New Chess Event: The 56th Northumberland Chess Congress

Following on from the announcement from Mick Riding on the North vs. South chess match comes news of an actual over-the-board chess event - the 56th Northumberland Chess Congress.

The Congress will be on the weekend of Friday 25 September - Sunday 27 September 2020 at:

The Parks
Leisure Centre
Howdon Road

Royal Quays
North Shields

North Tyneside
NE29 6TL

Mick and his team have worked very hard to ensure the tournament is as secure as possible regarding the Covid-19 situation.

Head here to see the entry form and also to read about the Covid-19 measure that will be in place.

Well done, Mick!

New Chess Event: North vs. South

Incoming!

My friend Mick Riding is working very hard to create new chess events.


This message is from the man himself...


ECF NORTH v SOUTH CHALLENGE


On September 5 (match starts half 6) we have the opportunity to take part in a historic rematch between North and South, the first since 1894.

To join just click on https://www.chess.com/club/ecf-north

For the background stuff go to https://www.englishchess.org.uk/online-north-v-south-challenge-2020/

The occasion is about participating. Of course it's nice if you're a 200+ ECF player, but us lesser mortals need not worry. The match will look to pair people up as closely as possible to their playing strength - so there's room for all.

On the back of our stand out efforts in the County, Pool and U100 matches this would be a big fat cherry on the cake. And The North has never won this challenge. Time to put that right yes? 🙂

The only prerequisite is ECF membership. Be aware most expire end August. So if you haven't renewed please do - or at least sign up as a Supporter (£10) which can later be upgraded to membership - and your £10 will counts towards membership.

New Reunion for the London Crew

The CSC Teesside superstars who participated in the 2019 London Chess Classic reunited again yesterday (although illness prevented one of the crew from attending).

For me it was an opportunity to unwind immediately after delivering the sixth and final training day of the current series.

The original plan involved a rematch of the big game we had last we time we met (at the start of July).

Unfortunately, August in England brings unpredictable weather and it was rather too wet to play the game on this particular occasion.

However, we still managed to have an excellent picnic and a fine walk (armed with umbrellas, of course).

In order to ensure we were observing the correct social distancing and other safety measures, we also had masks and a chessboard.

Whenever we saw strangers approaching we simply unrolled the chessboard and it scared them all off.

The photographs are further proof that paying chess is as easy as falling off a log.

Among our other discoveries there was an intelligent frog who wanted to play chess. It stayed on the green squares for as long as possible for automatic camouflage. We had to be very quick to capture it on a white square.

That concludes the story of CSC Teesside's latest leap.

 

Another reunion is coming soon!